World

Senator asks ethics office to assess Trump's foreign deals

President Donald Trump talks during a meeting on healthcare in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Monday. Picture by Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press
President Donald Trump talks during a meeting on healthcare in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Monday. Picture by Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press President Donald Trump talks during a meeting on healthcare in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Monday. Picture by Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press

A Democratic senator has asked a US government ethics office to assess whether Donald Trump's business dealings make his administration vulnerable to conflicts of interest.

"President Trump has exposed his administration to possible conflicts of interest on an unprecedented scale," Bob Casey wrote in a letter to the Office of Government Ethics.

He asked whether any of Mr Trump's foreign business deals could violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits US officeholders from accepting gifts from foreign countries.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Walter Shaub, the director of the ethics office, strongly criticised Mr Trump earlier this year for not divesting from his businesses.

He said Mr Trump was breaking decades of tradition by presidents who set up blind trusts for their assets.

Mr Casey cited several of Mr Trump's foreign business deals as examples that could present conflicts of interest.

He cited an Associated Press report that the Trump Organisation is returning to a long-dormant licensing deal involving a beach-front luxury resort in the Dominican Republic, despite Mr Trump's promise not to do any new foreign deals.

The deal had been on hold for years before being revived this year.

The Office of Government Ethics advises executive agencies on potential conflicts of interests.

However, the agency does not investigate complaints and does not have the authority to prosecute offences.

The office also works out ethics agreements with members of the president's cabinet.

The president, however, is not obligated to conform to an ethics agreement.